Bridal Gowns: The More, The MARRYer for You & -- Your Wallet ??

Is it just me, or have you also noticed that the Love Bug has been putting in lots of overtime lately? It seems every time I log into Facebook, my mini-feed is chalked full of more love, more engagements, and more wedding photographs than I can begin to keep up with – and I`m like a kid in a candy store over all of it. Wedding season is fully underway and, fortunately for me, wedding season marks my favorite time of year.

While most aspects of weddings are super fun, there are some less glamorous components within the planning process that can be daunting to think about – like the *BUDGET*! However, the budget is a very critical and fundamental element that must be thoughtfully constructed, realistically calculated, seriously followed, and constantly checked ... constantly. Weddings today run in a wide gamut of budgets and styles, but on average, weddings in the 21st century are by no means “cheap.” There are many ways that couples are looking to keep their budgets in mind, without compromising or sacrificing certain design elements/ traditional pieces that are most important to them.

One new-age trend that I see gaining popularity is the idea of having multiple wedding gowns! Personally, I think it`s a fabulous idea, because it keeps all of your guests (and your Groom) on the edge of their seats, wondering what stunning piece you`ll come out in next, and how many more looks you`ll pull off before the night ends. It adds a more dramatic, yet playful, layer to your special day, and since all eyes will be on you anyways, you might as well take full advantage of the occasion!

Many Brides put their wedding gown on a very high pedestal – and for good reason! It truly is the most important dress you`ll ever wear. Unfortunately, it can also be the most expensive dress you`ll ever purchase :( So by now, you`re probably wondering why I previously mentioned the importance of a budget, yet I`m now promoting the idea of multiple dresses, right?

Well, I would now like to introduce to you

the 2-IN-1 WEDDING GOWN!

I first saw the concept featured on David Tutera`s “My Fair Wedding” last season, and I think they are absolutely amazing! For the price of 1 dress, you can have 2 completely different looks – usually a more classic look for the wedding, and a more trendy look for the reception (or vice versa if you wish)! You could even get a 3rd look out of the same dress if it comes with a bustle option for the train. 1 gown, 2+ looks, 1 price, all accomplished with one effortless zip! So what`s not to like?! ♥

Please take a peek at some of the designer styles below :)

o David`s Bridal --

^^ Style || KP3135 ♥

^^ Style || KP3265 ♥

o David Tutera --

^^ Style || EVA B139 ♥

^^ Style || FERGIE B121 ♥

Extra, Extra -- Read SEED All About It !

^^Photo from LarsLove Design
It probably comes as no surprise that in light of the more apparently recent effects of our tremendous human footprint on Mother Earth, both people and businesses alike are [finally] striving to be more sustainable and environmentally-friendly! Regardless of whether or not you aggressively support the “green” movement, I would like to share with you a newly-innovative technology that has completely captured my heart –

SEED PAPER ♥

Seed paper is a form of organic recycled paper that is made from crushed plant seed (most commonly wildflower) and is 100% sustainable! It comes in many colors, textures, designs, and dyes (just like regular paper), and can add a very creative element to your next event in a subtle (yet environmentally-conscious) way!

Ever since I first learned of seed paper two years ago in one of my undergraduate classes at Virginia Tech, I`ve had a couple of ideas that I`d LOVEEE to implement in my future events. Take a peek, & by all means, feel free to copy!

• Idea #1 : Use RSVP card inserts as an opportunity to incorporate seed paper in a way that will forever be reflective of the memories of your special day and the people who shared it with you!

RSVP card inserts are one of the many standard components that accompany every wedding invitation, and RSVP card inserts serve as useful tools to keep a grip (theoretically) on the number of guests that plan to attend your reception/event. The idea is for the recipients of your wedding invitations to read the invitation, check your wedding date against their personal social calendars, fill out the RSVP card insert, and mail it back to you (the bride and groom/hostess and host) to indicate whether or not they will be in attendance with you on your special day.

Therefore, why not print your RSVP inserts onto pretty seed paper, enclose them in your wedding invitations, mail them to all of your family and friends, and collect all responses that are mailed back to you, just as you would if they were printed on regular paper stock. At this point, you would hold on to the responses until you coordinated a table chart for the seating of your reception, and then you would throw the responses in the trash.

HOWEVER WITH SEED PAPER INSERTS, you can take them a few steps further by storing the responses in a cool/dark place until the weather permits, and then planting them in the yard of your first home as husband and wife!
Not only will the blooming seedlings make your yard look pretty, but every time you newlyweds look out your window and see the flowers, you will think back to your amazing wedding day and all of your closest loved ones that shared in your happiness.

• Idea #2 : Not planning a wedding for your next event? Try using seed paper for commemorative or more heavy events as a means of bonding and unity.

For a reunion or a memorial event, you could easily utilize the same concept (as Idea #1) though the idea of symbolic beautification. At the present, I`m actually brainstorming a reunion for my Sorority Sisters from my undergraduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where we could gather at Virginia Tech on the anniversary of our Chapter`s chartering; fill out seed paper inserts with our names, favorite undergraduate memories, and what joining the Sorority has done for each of us; and then planting the seed paper on campus as a service project symbolic of both our Chapter (Theta Phi) and our University-appreciation.

Still not convinced that seed paper is the next best thing?! Please click on the businesses below to check out these amazing vendors and their work:

o Botanical Paperworks --

o Of the Earth .


o Bloomin --

PS – To all my loves who received Christmas Cards from me last year, the cover contained a seed paper insert (: plant it and think of me! Mwahhh ♥